Mental Illness & the Bible

I am the father of a 22-year-old daughter with bipolar disorder. Despite the pain of watching my little girl following a path that is destroying her mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I don t know how to respond biblically. Specifically, I Corinthians 5:9-12 is killing me. She claims to be a Christian (and I believe she is) but her lifestyle right now is such that according to this passage I shouldn t have any contact with her until she changes her ways. I Corinthians 5:5 says to hand this individual over to Satan. Trying to find a commentary that speaks to this passage itself is difficult. Trying to figure it out when dealing with someone who is a Christian but has a mental illness - impossible. Nobody seems to want to broach the subject.

People with bipolar disorder tend to get involved with a lot of sinful behaviors. My daughter is no exception to that rule. We have taken her into our home time and time again only to be hurt by her decisions. Right now she is not living with us but calls and tells us about her latest exploits or we hear about them through other uninvited means.

In the last 18 months we have had to have her committed to the Psych Ward of the local hospital for being either suicidal or homicidal. We are in financial ruin from trying to help her out of the jams she has gotten herself into.

It actually would be much easier to break all ties with her but I don t know that that is the right thing to do - it sure isn t the right thing emotionally. But is it the right thing spiritually?